(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) - Francisco Rodriguez III, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison without parole for possessing child pornography on his computer, acting United States Attorney Tim Johnson announced today.

United States District Judge Andrew S. Hanen sentenced Rodriguez, 39, of Lyford, Texas today. In addition, Judge Hanen ordered Rodriguez to serve a 10-year-term of supervised release after completing his prison term during which he must register as a sex offender, attend sex offender and mental health counseling, not use any computers or have internet access and not have any unsupervised contact with minors. Indicted in August 2008, Rodriguez pleaded guilty on Sept. 26, 2009.

The charges against Rodriguez are the result of the investigative efforts of the FBI which began when internet service providers discovered apparent child pornography while performing an installation at Rodriguez’s home. A search of the house resulted in the discovery of more than 25,000 of images and numerous videos of child pornography and child erotica on Rodriguez’s computer and many CDs and DVDs in Rodriguez’s possession.

The court has permitted Rodriguez to remain on bond until June 17, 2009, when he is ordered to surrender himself to the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his prison sentence.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Leonard.